Message Follow Up | God’s: Part 1 – God’s Purpose
By Matt Dawson
Everything We Have is God’s…
This is the foundational truth we needed to understand yesterday as we started this conversation. The idea of ownership vs stewardship, to release and fight the natural drift of our hearts to CONTROL and enjoy the freedom of managing the blessing of God in our lives for the sake of others.
“Everything we have is ours to manage and enjoy as we bless others.”
It’s amazing to me that so many parents still struggle with understanding God’s purposes in Stewardship when we all have living, breathing, everyday examples of it in our own homes.
Think about it! What do parents say when they hear 2 children fighting over something. “Now guys, we SHARE our things” OR “if I don’t see you start learning to share your stuff, I’m going to TAKE IT AWAY from you!”.
“Everything we have is ours to manage and enjoy as we bless others.” – @dawsonTVClick To Tweet
These words have been stated in the Dawson household on more than 36 dozen occasions. We see our kids quest for control, for MINE, and we try to help them understand that JUST BECAUSE they have it, doesn’t mean they can be selfish with it. We gave it to them to enjoy and with an assumption that they would not be selfish with siblings and friends.
What kind of child are you more likely to continue to GIVE generously to as a loving parent?
A child that is selfish with what they received, hiding things, treating things poorly, feeling entitled to more, not willing to share and bless others with their stuff . . .
OR
A child who enjoys what they’ve been given with a grateful heart, willing to share those things with siblings and friends, even willing to part with it – all the while knowing that they needed it more.
We know who we would pick. BUT as adults, we don’t understand that we have this same relationship with God. That He has BLESSED US and wants to give us MORE if we would only steward what we’ve been given for the sake of others.
Jesus sheds some light on this when he compares our desire to bless our kids with the desire that God has to bless His children.
“You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.
Matthew 7:9-11
God says we are evil in comparison to His love and desire to bless His kids. When we are good stewards of what He has blessed us with, we can ask Him for MORE. He is generous and will GIVE MORE. However, it has to be aligned with HIS PURPOSES – so that we can take those blessings and use them to bless others.
We often don’t experience a generous God because we don’t understand our call to stewardship.
What do you think God says when He see HIS KIDS (US) selfishly squander what He’s blessed us with for our comfort and our preservation? Do you think He is eager to generously give us more?
Or perhaps (as the example in the Parable of the Talents) He will take what He’s given to us away and choose to give it to one of His other kids who understands stewardship?
I want to be a better dad. I want my kids to understand stewardship from a young age so they can experience the freedom and joy it brings. Even more so, I want to be a better CHILD OF GOD, and remember that what He has blessed me with has a purpose, and if I use those gifts, talents, time, resources, material things to bless others – that my heavenly Father has MORE in store.
How much MORE does He want to give to you, if only you would surrender your need for control and embrace the freedom of managing God’s wealth and blessings for the sake of others?
Everything we have is God’s…. Let’s be better stewards of what He has blessed us with!